1863.] REPORT ON PEARS. 67 



as had been tried and found, at least, desirable for culivation ; so that although 

 your collections may not always be so large, numerically, as formerly, the exhi- 

 bitions, as a whole, will prove far more attractive and creditable ; and more 

 than this — the effect will not stop with exhibitions — while it will not prevent 

 the trial of new varieties and the adoption of such as may prove worthy, it 

 will induce cultivators to reject such as have already been found worthless and 

 to substitute other choice and valuable ones, giving a j^ermanent and substantial 

 improvement to the character aud quality of fruit produced iu our community 

 generally. 



But there is an error on the other hand, into which a certain class of con- 

 tributors are very liable to fall — the result of which is, practically, that they 

 allow their modesty to stand in the way of improvement. They are very apt 

 to assume that their contributions would be inferior, if made, and so neglect to 

 make them at all, lest they should suffer by comparison with others. This is 

 unjust to the Society, and, oftentimes, more unjust to themselves. Let no one 

 be deterred from contributing to the Society's exhibitions. Their contributions 

 maybe inferior to those of others. What then? The very comparison excites, 

 or should excite emulation, and stimulate to an effort for improvement in future 

 attempts with the same fruit — provokes inquiry as to soil, treatment, or any 

 other accident, which may lead to the discovery and correction of errors in the 

 contributor's mode of cultivation which might not otherwise be discovered or 

 corrected. It is the only mode of answering the purposes, objects and aims of 

 the Society — all of which may be summed up in one word — Improvement. 



The number of entries found in the Secretary's book for this year is eight 

 hundred and twenty-one, or about 6fty less than the average number for the 

 last four exhibitions. But while the number of entries is not so large as in 

 some former years, the quality of the fruit and the evident care taken in the 

 selection of specimens have done much in making the exhibition a success in 

 this department ; and when we take into consideration the fact that the season 

 has been to a considerable degree unfavorable to the production and growth of 

 this fruit, the exhibition has been in all its really valuable features quite up to 

 those preceding it. 



Your Committee have found no difficulty in coming to a unanimous opinion 

 as to the premiums offered by the Society and to be awarded by them, although 

 in some cases where premiums were awarded for a certain number of varieties, 

 they found it difficult to ' select the number required, the general character of 

 the contributor's fruit from which the selection was to be made was so good. 

 They award the premiums, as follows : 



Pears. — For the largest and best collection of not less than five speci- 

 mens each, to D. Waldo Lincoln, of Worcester, $10 00 



For the second largest and best to Samuel H. Colton, of Worcester, 6 00 

 For the best twenty varieties of not less than five specimens each, 

 to Jonathan Grout, of Worcester, for his Belle Lucrative, Bart- 

 lett, Beurre d'Anjou, Beurre Montgeron, Beurre Hardy, Beurre 



